Health bosses say a GP surgery inside a shopping centre will be closed again today for deep cleaning.

The DMC clinic inside the Boots store in the Pentagon in Chatham was evacuated and cordoned off yesterday morning.

This is after a patient reportedly arrived displaying symptoms of coronavirus. It is not known at this stage what happened to this person.

A KentOnline reporter visited the scene yesterday and witnessed at least two people inside wearing protective clothing.

In a statement, DMC Healthcare said: “The surgery is temporarily closed today to enable a deep clean as a routine precautionary measure.

"The practice will reopen as soon as the cleaning is complete. Patients who have an appointment booked for today will be contacted by a clinician.

“We apologise for any inconvenience that may have been caused.

"Safety is our priority and we have been working with public health teams to make sure there is no risk to staff and patients.

“If you think you may have coronavirus, have recently been in a country with a high risk of coronavirus or have been in close contact with someone who has it, please do not go to your local GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital. Call NHS 111 or visit their online site for advice.”

The surgery is based within the Boots store, which saw part of its rear area cordoned temporarily.

Neither it or the shopping centre as a whole have closed following the incident.

The Pentagon has been contacted for comment.

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